Can you believe tomorrow is Halloween? This month has flown by, and we’re heading into snowball season. No, I don’t mean literal snow. I mean the time of year where – for our family, at least – Halloween rolls into my birthday rolls into Josiah’s birthday rolls into Thanksgiving rolls into Natalie’s birthday rolls into Christmas. Whew – I’m exhausted just thinking about it! Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas, I’m just not crazy about the hecticness leading up to it.

Tomorrow night, we will take the kids to my parents’ church for the ultimate in Harvest Parties. My Dad has built all of these amazing games, and they give out tons of candy – way more than we ever got when we used to trick-or-treat. Which the kids really, really need because they’ve been so, so nice to each other lately. (Can you sense the sarcasm in that sentence?)

What I’m really looking forward to is next Friday. See, it’s my birthday – and all three boys are staying over at Michelle and Don’s house for Nicholas’s birthday, and Natalie is spending the weekend with my folks. So Kevin and I are heading to Spokane to eat dinner and go to Barnes & Noble so I can pick out my birthday present. Can’t. wait.

This weekend will be spent dealing with kids on way too much sugar, while I try to write the four articles that are due by Monday. Sigh.

~ Bookroom Reviews is holding a Book Giveaway Carnival next week – be sure and check out the details at the link if you want to participate, and then check back on Monday for the list of all the bloggers giving away books.

In the spirit of ignoring politics until the election is over, I thought it would be fun to do a meme – and then I saw this one at Meg‘s.

Bold the things you’ve done and will admit to.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea14. Taught yourself an art from scratch – Is knitting an art?
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Have you ever? Let me know if you join in, so I can read your answers.

Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink; drain fat. While the ground beef is cooking, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large saucepan and place on burner on high. When it starts to boil, turn it down to medium-low. Add the hamburger as soon as it’s done cooking. The longer you simmer the sauce, the better it tastes – 20 to 30 minutes is good. If you’re in a hurry and can’t simmer it that long, increase the amount of garlic by a bit and it still tastes great. Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles – I use the thin spaghetti.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large saucepan, cook the spaghetti noodles according to package directions until just done – you don’t want them mushy. While the noodles are cooking, cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When almost all of the pink is gone, add the garlic and continue to cook until all of the meat is brown. Pour in the spaghetti sauce, mix thoroughly, and then turn on low. Combine the sour cream and cream cheese in medium sized mixing bowl; stir until smooth.

When noodles are done cooking, drain. Pour the noodles into 11×15 or two quart baking dish that has been misted or wiped down with olive or canola oil. Spoon about 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce/ground beef mixture over the noodles and mix until all the noodles are moistened with the sauce. Spoon the cream cheese/sour cream mixture over the noodles and spread evenly. Spread the remaining spaghetti sauce over the top, and then sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

For this one, I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese and low fat sour cream, and you can’t tell the difference at all.

Oh my gosh, House and Cuddy totally kissed! Really, really kissed. And then, biggest surprise of all, House did the gentlemanly thing and said, “Goodnight” and left, instead of taking advantage of her depressed state of mind.

I cried when the birth mother changed her mind about letting Cuddy adopt the baby.

On a completely unrelated note, I won’t be posting about politics anymore, nor will I be answering comments on any of my previous political posts. I’m more than ready for the election to be over, and I’m tired of talking about it, reading about it, and hearing about it.